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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. SUTTON. MAGHINE FOR REMOVING WATER HAIRS FROM BELTS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

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r J. W. SUTTON. MACHINE FOR REMOVING WATER HAIRS FROM PELTS,

No. 468,270. Patented Feb. 2, 1892-.

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(No Model.)

J. W. SUTTON. MACHINE FOR REMOVING WATER HAIRS FROM BELTS. No. 468,270.

Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

INVENTOR WW @WMW.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \V. SUTTON, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

MACHIN E FOR REMOVING WAT ER-HAIRS FROM PELTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,270, dated February 2, 1892.

Application filed August 15, 1890. $eria11l0. 362,082. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. SUTTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Removing Water-Hairs from Pelts,

-of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the machine for removing waterhairs from pelts for which Letters Patent were granted to me heretofore, No. 383,258, dated May 22, 1888, said improvements being designed with a view to produce the more perfeet separation of the water'hairs from the soft hairs or fur, so that the former can be subjected in a more eifeetive manner to the cutting, plucking, or burning-oft action for removing the same; and it consists of a machine for removing water-hairs from pelts, which comprises a fixed stretcher-bar over which the pelt is stretched and intermittingly fed,a stationary guard-card at one side of the stretche r-bar, an intermittingly-reciprocatin g guard-plate at the opposite side of the stretcher-bar, and a rotary brush which is formed of two adjacent bristle-segments, of which one segment of bristles is made longer and closer together, so as to brush the water-hairs and for to one side of the stretcher-bar, while the other segment is made of shorter and more open bristles that permit the water-hairs to rise and bring them in the required position for the action of the cutting-blades or other medium by which the water-hairs are removed. The rotary brush is provided in the space between the bristle segments with suitable means for removing the projecting waterhairs, which means are called into action at each rotation of the brush and whenever the open space between the bristle segments passes above the edge of the stretcher-bar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, of my improved machine for removing water-hairs from pelts. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4C are vertical transverse sections of the main parts of my machine,drawn on a larger scale and showing an incandescent electric conductor for removing the water-hairs. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing the electric connection of the incandescent conductor with for removing water-hairs from pelts. At the upper part of the supporting-frame A is supported a fixed knife-edged stretcher-bar B, over which the pelt to be operated upon is stretched, the ends of said pelt being attached to suitable rollers, to which an intermittent rotary motion is imparted by suitable feeding mechanism arranged at each end of said rollers. The feed mechanism for the pelt consists of a ratchet-wheel a, which is actuated by a pawl 12, applied to the upper arm of a fulcrumed elbow-lever b, the lower arm of which is connected by a pivot-link with a fulcrumed and spring-actuated lever (Z, the lower end of which is acted upon by a rotary cam c on the shaft e, that receives motion by a gear-wheel transmission from the drivingshaft D. At each rotation of the shaft e the ratchet-wheel a is moved for the distance of one or more teeth, according to the size of the cam e. The motion of the ratchet-wheel a is transferred by a pinion a. on the shaft of the ratchet-wheel a to the gear-wheels a at the ends of the rollers O C, to which the ends of the pelts are attached, so that the same are simultaneously turned on their axes, one roller producing the unwindingand the other the winding up of the pelt. By the motion of the feed-rollers C O the pelt is intermittingly and successively fed over the edge of the stretcher-bar B, so that narrow longitudinal sections are thereby successively exposed to the action of the mechanism by which the water-hairs are removed from the pelt. The upper end of each lever d is connected by a pivot-link f and an intermediate fulcrumed lever f with a reciprocating bar f to which an oscillating motion is imparted by said fulcrunied lever f and by a pivot-link f that is pivoted at one end to the frame A and at the other end to the swinging reciprocating bar f The bars f are connected at their inner ends next adjoining the stretcher-bar B with a guard-plate D, which is moved by the cam e and the mechanism described either'close to the pelt on the upper edge of the stretcherbar, so as to hold down and protect the soft fur of the same, as shown in Fig. 4, or away from the same, so as to permit the brushing out of the fur and hair on the next section of the pelt that is moved onto the upper edge of the stretcher-bar by the action of the feed-rollers C. A stationary guard-card E is arranged at the opposite side of the stretcher-bar, said guard-card serving to comb down the hairs and fur as the pelt is successively moved over the edge of the stretcher-bar. The water-hairs and fur of the pelt are acted upon by a rotary brush F, to which motion is imparted by a chain and sprocket-wheel transmission from the shaft e, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The rotary brush F is formed of two adjacent brush-segments s s, between which an open space 8 is formed. The smaller segment 8 is made of soft but long bristles, while the larger segment 3 is made of stiffer and shorter bristles, such as used in cards, only with the difference that the teeth are perfectly straight and are about one-twentieth of an inch apart, while the bristles of the first segments are closer together.

The effect of the rotary brush on that section of the pelt which is at the time over the knife-edged stretcher-bar is as follows: As the pelt is drawn tightly over the stretcherbar the stationary guard-card E holds the soft fur and hairs in place at one side of the stretcher-bar; but it allows the stiff hairs to rise between the teeth of the guard-card. It

ments 3', being shorter than the bristles of the first segment 3, do not touch the skin, but are at a small distance from the same, the teeth being apart far enough to permit the water-hairs to rise up between them into the natural position which they would occupy if the pelts were drawn over the edge of the stretcher-bar without being touched by the bristles of the segment 3. The soft fur, not having the elasticity of the water-hairs, is kept down by the continuous action of the bristles of the segment .9, which are close enough to carry down the soft fur, but wide enough apart from each other to allow the stiff hairs to rise between them. This continuous action of the bristles stirs up the fur and permits thereby any hairs that were entangled and held down by the same to rise, and if on rising the water-hairs take with them some of the fur the bristles, touching the soft fur, brush it down again to the position in which the first segment has taken them. \Vhen the second segment of the brush has passed over the narrow section of the pelt at the time above the stretcher-bar, the reciprocating guard-plate F is then moved close to the fur, so as to carry and hold down the same. In this position the section of the pelt on the stretcher-bar is in a condition to be acted upon by the mechanism by which the water-hairs are removed. The water-hairs stand up from the pelt, while the fur at one side of the stretcher-bar is retained by the stationary guard-card E and at the other side retained and covered by the guard-plate F.

For removing the water-hairs either an incandescent electric conductor or the cuttingknives described in my prior patent referred to may be employed. The electric conductor is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, While the cutting-knives are shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The electric conductor 9 is supported by metallic lugs g, which are attached by ring-shaped bands to ends of the roller F and insulated from the latter by suitable means. The conductor g is formed of a tightly-stretched wire or rod, which is attached to the lugs g, the current being supplied to the conductor gby brushes g and binding-posts g from a dynamo-electric machine, battery, or other source of electricity. The electric conductor is kept incandescentthroughout the operation of the machine and burns oif by contact the waterhairs projecting from the section of the pelt which is located at the time above the edge of the stretcher-bar. hen the removal of the water-hairs is to be accomplished by means of cutting-knives, one of the knives is supported on radial arms that are attached to the roller F, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, while the other knife is reciprocated, so as to cutoff the projecting water-hairs in connection with the knife rotating with the roller F. The latter mechanism is fully described in my prior patent and does not require a detailed description in this connection. In place of the electric conductor or of the cuttingknives described any other mechanism for removing the water-hairs may be used. After the water-hairs are removed the cam 6 releases the lever d, and the oscillating guardplate is moved away from the pelt by the action of the spiral springs 01', which connect the fulcrumed actuating-levers d with the supporting-frame A, as shown in Fig. 1. Simultaneously therewith the pelt is fed forward by the feed mechanism as the pawl-and ratchet-wheel mechanism is likewise operated by the springs d. A new section of pelt is thereby moved over the edge ofthe stretcherbar B ready for being acted upon by the rotary-brush and hair-removing devices, and so on until the entire pelt is fed through the machine and freed of hairs.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new anddesire to secure .by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a fixed stretcherbar, means for intermittingly feeding the pelt over said stretcher-bar, a stationary guardcard at one side of said stretcher-bar, an oscillating guard-plate at the opposite side of the same, means for imparting oscillating motion to said guard-plate, a rotarybrnsh formed of segmental brushsections above the stretcher-bar, means for imparting rotary motion to the brush, and mechanism for removing the water-hairs, snbstantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a fixed stretcher bar, means forintermittingly feeding the pelt over said stretcher-bar, a stationary guardcard at one side of said stretcher-bar, an intermittiugly-oscillating guard-plate at the opposite side of the same, means for imparting intermittent oscillating motion to said guardplate, a rotary brush above the stretcherbar, provided with two brush-segments, and means for imparting rotary motion to the brush, of which one has long and soft and the other short and stiff bristles, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a fixed stretcherbar, means for intermittingly feeding the pelt over said stretcher-bar, a stationary guardcard at one side of said stretcher-bar, an intermittin gly-oscillatin g guard-plate at the 0pposite side of the same, means for imparting intormittently-oscillating motion to said guard-plate, a rotary brush having two adjacent brush-sections made of bristles of diiferent lengths, means for imparting rotary motion to said brush, and mechanism for removing the water-hairs from the pelt, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for removing water-hairs from pelts, a brush provided with two segmental brush-sections, the bristles of one section being longer and closer together, while the bristles of the other brush-section are shorter and farther from each other, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for removing Water-hairs from pelts, a brush composed of two adjacent brush-segments, one segment having longer bristles, which are closer together, while the remaining brush-segment has shorter bristles, that are farther apart from each other, an open space being arranged between the ends of the brush-segments, in which space the hair-removing mechanism is located, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. SUTTON.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, MARTIN PETRY. 

